ABSTRACT
Mechatronics is an integrated technology that synthesizes several evolving engineering disciplines and technologies, including precision mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, control algorithms, and systems thinking in the design of products and manufacturing processes. 3C (computer, communications, and consumer electronics) products, automobiles, and household appliances are all examples of mechatronic systems. Technological history indicates that much effort has been made for improving mechatronic systems. The application fields of primitive mechatronic systems, e.g., automotive mechatronics, manufacturing equipment, industrial robots, household appliances, and entertainment devices, highlight the marvelous ingenuity of their inventors. A mechatronic system organization includes a central processing unit (CPU), an actuator, instrumentation, a controlled target system, an operation interface, and other elements, e.g., a communication unit, a power supply unit, and a tiny operation system. The most common type of CPU in use is the microcontroller; very small, highly integrated microprocessors are used as decision-making elements in mechatronic systems.
